EPA Will Assess Abandoned Uranium Mines on Navajo Nation

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded an $85 million contract for an initial assessment of 30 abandoned uranium mines on and near the Navajo Nation. During the Cold War era, some 30 million tons of uranium ore was removed from the area, and hundreds of contaminated sites remain. The contractor, Tetra Tech, Inc., will partner with Navajo Technical University and local businesses to train Diné people to do assessment and cleanup work. In a release, Council Delegate Kee Allen Begay, Jr., who represents many of the affected communities, hailed the announcement but added, “there are still people living with health issues every day due to abandoned mines and there are still many mines that present danger to our people.”